Catch The Holiday Spirit(S) At The Theatre by Jordan Wright

Family holiday shows are everywhere. But where can you find one that’s tailor made for teens…and non-denominational too? This year the Synetic Theatre Teen Ensemble is tackling the company’s Silent Shakespeare version of A Midsummer Night’s Dreamand it promises to be scintillating. In this beautifully reimagined production local teens star as Feuding Fairies, Lost Lovers and Merry Mechanicals in a production directed by Alex Mills.

There are two special events during the run of the show. Synetic will host a special “Party Night” for teens after the December 8th evening performance, where young adults will be able to hang out with the cast and dance to a DJ onstage. Also on the 8th at 2pm there will be a “Family Day and Holiday Party.”Expect a visit from Santa to include snacks and games in the company’s new theatre space.

Teen A Midsummer Night’s Dreamplays December 12th, 13th, and 14th at 8 pm and on Friday, December 13th at 11 am at Synetic Theater – 1800 S. Bell Street, in Arlington, Virginia, at the Crystal City Metro. For tickets call (800) 494-8497, or purchase them online.

When not sending out cards, trimming the tree, wrapping gifts, and savoring a dram or two of Christmas cheer, be sure to catch one or more of these fabulous holiday shows.

MetroStage’s rollicking send-up of a classic tale with A Broadway Christmas Carol is not your mama’s cup of eggnog. The endearingly outrageous three-person cast of Russell Sunday, Peter Boyer,and Tracey Stephens will delightfully dissect your funny bone with parodies of 31 recognizable show tunes from the likes of Andrew Lloyd Webber, Rodgers and Hammerstein,and Stephen Sondheim.

Boyer is absolutely phenomenal as Ebenezer Scrooge in this madcap holiday whirlwind of costume changes and characters, sung by some of the best pipes in the business. Look for pianist Howard Breitbart to get into the act in “The Phantom of Christmases Yet to Come.”

It’s a hoot and a howl for adults only.

A Broadway Christmas Carolplays through December 22, 2013 at MetroStage — 1201 North Royal Street, in Alexandria, VA. For tickets, call the box office at (703) 548-9044, or purchase them online.

Directed and adapted by becky Patton, this family-friendly version of the Charles Dickens classic will warm the cockles of everyone’s hearts. Replete with elegant Victorian costumes, the accursed curmudgeon Ebenezer Scrooge and the adorable Tiny Tim, you can almost smell the chestnuts roasting as ghostly guides transport you through Christmas past, present, and future.

Relive this Currier and Ives picture postcard of a show that reveals the true meaning of Christmas.

Signature Theatre’s holiday season lineup has something for everyone. Holiday Follies is back with a wonderful wintry lineup of Signature’s closest friends and artists. There’s never been a better way to keep company on a cold winter’s night.

In addition, Matt Conner will star in A Matt Conner Christmas. Promising to be a cozy evening of Conner on piano, sharing cherished Christmas memories, the composer — known for his work on Crossing,The Hollow, and Nevermore — will be “blending them with some of [his] favorite Christmas songs, along with a few surprise guests. The show will range from bluegrass to classical with a lot in-between, all full of holiday cheer.”

Be sure to check out the special New Year’s Eve party and midnight toast for ticket holders of Signature’s latest extravaganza, Gypsy, one of the greatest American musicals ever written, starring Sherri L. Edelen as Mama Rose.

Purchase tickets herefor Holiday Follies, which runs from December 17th to the 23rd. Purchase tickets here for A Matt Conner Christmas, which plays from December 11th to 15th, or call the box office at (703) 830-9771.

Jordan Wright is an accomplished writer on food, spirits, travel, and theatre. Her clients include the tony Georgetowner and hip sister publication the Downtowner, the Washington Examiner and San Francisco Examiner, as well as LocalKicks.com, DC Metro Magazine, Washington Life Magazine, Washingtonian Magazine, MDTheatreGuide.com, The Alexandria Times, Hartkeisonline.com, and now DCMetroTheaterArts. Her articles feature restaurant openings, food and wine events, food-oriented film reviews, farmer’s markets, food trends, restaurant reviews, food memories, new food products, hotels, spas, resorts and interviews with the country’s leading chefs – from Jose Andres and Top Chef’s Carla Hall, to CakeLove’s Warren Brown and Top Chef’s Spike Mendelsohn. She has also interviewed famed chef and TV star, Anthony Bourdain, Eric Ripert, cookbook author Joan Nathan, and director Robert Kenner for an in-depth article about his film Food, Inc. Photographs by Wright accompany many of her articles and NBCNews.com has picked up and used several of her stories.
Jordan Wright hails from three generations of show business. Her grandmother, Betty Morton, was a Ziegfield Follies girl; her step-grandmother Corinne Griffith, a noted author and silent screen star wrote Hail to the Redskins; her father, Georgie Price, an entertainer and founder of The Lamb’s Club in New York, as well as a CBS radio show host, songwriter and vaudevillian; her sister, Penny Larsen Vine, a theatre critic both on radio and in print for Variety, a former longtime member of the Outer Critics Circle, and a lead performer in countless national touring companies; one brother, Peter Price, appeared in leading roles in over 16 major motion pictures for MGM; while her other brother, Marshall Price performed at Carnegie Hall. Niece, Stephanie Vine, was the final Annie in the original production of Annie on Broadway, and niece, Liz Larsen, has received two Tony nominations and a Helen Hayes award for lead actress in Sunday in the Park with George.
Wright sang with Columbia Records in New York and Barclay Records in France. In the sports world her grandfather was the original owner and founder of the Washington Redskins football team. Wright has traveled throughout four continents and currently resides in Old Town Alexandria.